BooksBarbecue
Back Cross and Burn
Chapters (74)
  1. About the Author
  2. Also by Val McDermid
  3. COPYRIGHT
  4. CROSS AND BURN
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgements
  7. Epigraph
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. 59
  67. 60
  68. 61
  69. 62
  70. 63
  71. 64
  72. 65
  73. 66
  74. 67

He grunted, but told her what she wanted to hear. ‘Nadia comes out of the cinema and walks out to the car park. Her car’s a way off because she parked up earlier when the place was hopping. A bloke tails her across the car park. He’s carrying a metal box, like a camera case. She opens her boot to put her shopping in the car. He comes up behind her. You can’t really see what goes on but he tips her in the boot, puts the case in the boot, leans over her for a minute or so. Then he gets in her car and drives off.’

‘We’ve asked the DCI to put a request in to the National ANPR Data Centre to track the car,’ Carpenter chipped in, sounding more excited than anyone should at the thought of data mining. ‘All the roads round the Trafford Centre are well covered. We should be able to track him without any problem.’

They walked into the incident room together, greeted by a few whoops of delight. Fielding came out of her office and gave a couple of handclaps. ‘We’re all set up, Cody. Get that memory stick plugged in and let’s see what we’ve got.’

Everyone settled down to watch the interactive whiteboard and someone turned off most of the lights. ‘Here we go,’ Cody said. It was as he had said. Nadia emerged from the cinema and walked through to the car park a level below. As she stepped outside, she put her bags down to fasten her jacket against the cold. The line of small buttons took a few moments to close. Paula recognised the jacket from the lab. Pity there was no prospect of counting the cuff buttons at this level of definition. Nadia walked forward out of shot. Next out was a couple, the man with his arm round the woman’s shoulders. They were laughing and talking, paying no attention to their surroundings, unaware that a third figure was walking close behind them, head lowered, hard to see. He stayed tucked in behind them till they moved out of shot.

‘The next camera picks Nadia up on the diagonal. Here she comes. Bottom right,’ Cody explained. Head down against the wind, Nadia was cutting across the almost empty car park at an angle. How often have I done that without a second thought? Paula felt a frisson of fear as the figure following Nadia entered the frame.

Fielding took centre stage now. ‘Look at this guy. Study everything about him. Look at that case he’s carrying. Commit him to memory.’